Oh, it definitely happens. It's easier to spot on low-traffic subs because a single topic that matches the right keywords will suddenly blow up with both a spik

Oh, it definitely happens. It's easier to spot on low-traffic subs because a single topic that matches the right keywords will suddenly blow up with both a spike in upvotes and dozens or hundreds of heavily opinionated comments. Here is a classic guide to "forum spies": http://cryptome.org/2012/07/gent-forum-spies.htm http://cryptome.org/2012/07/gent-forum-spies.htm The tactics are well known to the financial system. Penny stock boards, for example, are full of engineered disinformation because all participants are competing to manipulate the market. I believe the sockpuppets used for reddit are directed in some more autonomous fashion, though.